Melodious history in Pakistan schools textbook

The above picture belongs to the history book of Urdu Class V, Punjab Textbook Board, Lahore, March 2002. On page number 108 it has been written that “Hindu has always been an enemy of Islam”. A similar kind of information that is full of hatred is served in the textbook of Muasherati Ulum for Class IV, Punjab Textbook Board, Lahore, 2005. In this book on page number 81, it is written that “The religion of the evil Hindus did not teach them good things – Hindus did not respect women”.

In the textbook of Muasherati Ulum for Class V, Punjab Board, Lahore, 1996, on page number 109 it is written that “Hindus worship in temples which are very narrow, dark and dirty places, where they worship fake gods in idols. Only one person can enter the temple at a time. In our mosques, on the other hand, all Muslims can say their prayers together”

It is a well-planned strategy to the filled the mind of Pakistani from childhood also so that sense of hatred can be created against India in the name of Hindus. The Pakistani narratives of historical events in school textbooks have apparently been white-washed and are nothing more than a hate-spreading disease in the minds of innocent children. School textbooks of Pakistan show how history is interpreted in a very different & narrow way on the line of hatred against India.

Pakistan teaches history to their children as per the pleasing sounds suit for the idea of Pakistan. The whole modern history of Pakistan is based on anti-India sentiments. More or less Indian history has neutral approaches. In India, Jinnah is held as more responsible for the partition. Similarly, in Pakistan, Mahatma Gandhi is projected as solely responsible for the partition of India.

Civil Disobedience Movement

• Indian textbook: An important Gandhian movement against the British government.
• Pakistani textbook: NO mention of the civil disobedience movement.

• Indian textbook: Muslim leaders didn’t seriously raise the demand of Pakistan. In the bargaining, Jinnah himself had seen the Pak Idea as a bargaining counter. More or less Jinnah was responsible for partition.

• Pakistani textbook: Muslims want to establish a govt in which every law would be accordance with Quran. After the British leave, Muslims would be ruled by the majority Hindu law rather than the law of God. Muslims would be treated as untouchables and feared that after getting rid of the slavery of the British, they would become slaves of Hindus. Gandhi was made responsible for partition.

• Indian textbook: It should be called a partition, a more or less orderly constitutional arrangement an agreed-upon division of territories and assets “OR” it should be called a 16 months civil war recognizing that there were well-organized forces on both sides and concerted attempts to wipe out entire populations as enemies.

• Pakistani textbook: While the Muslims provided all types of help to those wishing to leave Pakistan, the People of India committed cruelties against Muslims (refugees). They would attack the buses, trucks, and trains carrying Muslim refugees, and they were looted and murdered.

• Indian textbook: Indian Army reached close to Lahore, hostilities came to an end with UN intervention. Though India could inflict considerable loss on Pakistan, the 1965 war added to India’s already difficult economic situation.

• Pakistani textbook: Pakistan Army conquered several areas of India. India was on the point of being defeated, they requested the UN to arrange a cease-fire.

• Indian textbook: Bengali population of East Pakistan voted against the treatment of second-class citizens by west Pakistan rulers. Pakistani rulers didn’t accept the democratic verdict and their massacre led to pushing refugees in India. India extended moral & military support to their freedom.

• Pakistani textbook: With the help of Hindus living in East Pakistan, India instigated the people against the people of West Pakistan. At last India, herself invaded East Pakistan. India’s conspiracy resulted in the separation of East Pakistan from us. All of us should receive military training and be prepared to fight the enemy.

• Indian textbook: Armed intruders from Pakistan attacked Kashmir in 1947. Hari Singh, then ruler of the state, signed an agreement to join India, after which the Indian army went to defend Kashmir.
• Pakistani textbook: Mr. Singh started a violent campaign against Kashmiri Muslims. When they revolted, with Pakistan’s support, he was forced to ask for India’s help. The Indian govt agreed on the condition that Kashmir would sign an agreement to join India.

The question remains: Is there really any need to doctor the historical facts and teach such hatred to our children in the name of education?

Now the question is why so many differences in India & Pakistan teachings to their children. It is well known that Pakistan is not created naturally. Pakistan came into being as a result of the so-called “Churchill Doctrine” instead of the synergized efforts undertook by the sole Muslim political outfit, the All India Muslim League. He says that the west was fearful of the spread of communism as from the then Soviet Union to the sub-continent to China, the leaders were socialists and communists in their outlook.  Pakistan was created, to be used as an Islamic state, by the then US and UK presidents in the era of 1940s. To counter communism, Pakistan was created. It was further aggravated by the dictatorial Saudi-led Wahhabism. That’s why their school material tune on the romance of Islamic invasion by making them heroes.

Thus western countries had setup puppet govt through oligarchy. Stephen Cohen in his famous book “The idea of Pakistan” reveals that “Pakistan establishment” is an informal political system that comprises of the senior ranks of the military, the civil service, the judiciary, and other elites. Whole structure of Pakistan establishment is standing on anti-India sentiments. The day they start serving neutral history, whole structure of elites will fall down and oligarchy will become weak. Such a state would provide civil and human rights to the citizens. A democratically-elected government would determine national security strategy and defense policy. Pakistani elites would not like to share power with people to make a democracy.

Thus, for the Pakistani military & elites its a compulsion to inculcate hatred against India from Childhood. Islamabad-based scholar and nuclear physicist Pervez Hoodbhoy in his report said that the cycle of extremism – the use of textbooks and curricula to reinforce extreme religious and anti-India views – showed no signs of receding in Pakistan. In his presentation, ‘How Education Fuels Terrorism in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan’, Hoodbhoy cites examples. The examples showed by Hoodbhoy included images and text from a primer that mentioned the Urdu equivalent of A as ‘Allah’, B as ‘Bandook’, T as ‘Takrao’, J as ‘Jihad’, H as ‘Hijab’, K as ‘Khanjar’ and Z as ‘Zunoob’.

When education did not foster respect for diversity and for other religions. There was more to terrorism than education. The most important part of education is that diversity should be cherished, that unity does not mean uniformity. It is the conspiracy of the political class to keep the people of Pakistan away from the people of India so that people to people contact can be avoided. But as a youth of 21st century I believe that the day on which people of both nations will start negotiating & understanding each other, most of the tensions will go away. People are separated by politics but will be united by technologies in the upcoming days.